Filipinx Igniting Engagement for Reimagining
Collective Em(POWER)ment
The Filipinx Igniting Engagement for Reimagining Collective Em(POWER)ment – known as the FIERCE – Coalition is a statewide assembly of 20 FilAm community-based organizations (CBOs), nonprofits, grassroots and student groups from across California. We were formally established in summer 2020, but operated as the “Statewide Policy Steering Committee” for two years prior.
Since 2018, the members of the Steering Committee-turned-FIERCE Coalition have produced three statewide Policy Symposia and two FilAm Advocacy Days, one at our State Capitol, Sacramento and the second, virtually.
The FIERCE Coalition meets several times throughout the year to mobilize on issues related to the California State Budget and Legislation. We exist to engage youth, students, families and professionals in legislative advocacy to urge for progressive reforms to our public systems of education, health and human services, police accountability, and civil rights.
In 2019, FIERCE organized a FilAm Advocacy Day in Sacramento, bringing ~60 community members to the State Capitol. We advocated for the passage of Ethnic Studies, Just Cause Evictions, and Worker Protections. Past legislative bill priorities include:
- AB 331 – Ethnic Studies in K-12
- AB 1480 and 1481 – Tenant Rights
- SB 1257 – Worker Protections
LEAD Filipino currently serves as the 2021-22 Chair Organization of the FIERCE Coalition. To become a member of the statewide FIERCE Coalition, please read more under the “Membership” section.
The FIERCE Coalition produces the annual Statewide Filipinx Policy & Organizing Symposium and Legislative Advocacy Day in Sacramento.
2021 STATEWIDE FILIPINX ADVOCACY DAY RECAP
On Wednesday, 4/28 the partners of the statewide FIERCE Coalition and family of Angelo Quinto met with the offices of 10 legislators and staff to push for the passage of AB 490, The Justice for Angelo Quinto Act, SB 2 to Increase Police Accountability, and Raise Awareness on the Impact of Philippines Studies at City College of San Francisco.
Read more about our virtual 2021 Day of Action here and ways that you can get involved in our state efforts.
2021 FILIPINX POLICY SYMPOSIUM FOOTAGE NOW AVAILABLE
On Sunday, 3/7 the FIERCE Coalition hosted its Annual Filipinx Policy Symposium virtually with over hundreds of viewers.
ABOUT
The Filipinx Igniting Engagement for Reimagining Collective Em(POWER)ment – known as the FIERCE – Coalition is a statewide assembly of 20 FilAm community-based organizations (CBOs), nonprofits, grassroots and student groups from across California.
Since 2018, the FIERCE Coalition has produced two statewide Policy Symposia and a FilAm Advocacy Day in at our State Capitol, Sacramento.
The FIERCE Coalition exists to engage youth, students, families and professionals in legislative advocacy to urge for progressive reforms to our public systems of education, health and human services, police accountability, and civil rights.
In 2019, FIERCE organized a FilAm Advocacy Day in Sacramento, bringing ~60 community members to the State Capitol. We advocated for the passage of Ethnic Studies, Just Cause Evictions, and Worker Protections. Past legislative bill priorities include:
- AB 331 – Ethnic Studies in K-12
- AB 1480 and 1481 – Tenant Rights
- SB 1257 – Worker Protections
LEAD Filipino currently serves as the 2021-22 Chair Organization of the FIERCE Coalition.
The FIERCE Coalition produces the annual Statewide Filipinx Policy & Organizing Symposium and Legislative Advocacy Day in Sacramento.
JOIN THE FIERCE COALITION
FIERCE operates on a regional model.
Through regional partnerships, we coordinate our annual state legislative agenda that informs the development of our Policy Symposium and Advocacy Day activities.
Individuals and/or organizations that seek to participate in FIERCE will engage with their regional convener to meet other community members, engage in state policy discussions, and prepare for the Annual FilAm Advocacy Day.
Regional convening organizations are FilAm CBOs, nonprofits, and grassroots organizations that actively advocate on issues of racial and economic justice, health and human services, and civil rights. Their leadership guides the curation and design of our Symposium and Advocacy Day – and with your participation will be even richer.
If you are an individual or organization with an interest in joining the FIERCE Coalition, please complete the membership form and a member of our team will reach out to connect you with your regional FIERCE convener.
FIERCE MEMBERSHIP FORM
FIERCE Coalition Regional Partners
Based on your location, you will be plugged into your local FIERCE Regional Convener:
Central Valley
Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities (EMAC)
Little Manila Rising
East Bay Area
Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJ)
Filipino American Educators Association of California (FAEAC)
Los Angeles
Pilipino American LA Democrats (PALAD)
Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA)
Team Kapwa, Children’s Hospital of LA
UCLA Pilipino Alumni Association
Orange County/Inland Empire
Bayanihan Desert
Sacramento/Yolo
Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at UC Davis
Kumare Culture
Philippine National Day Association (PNDA)
San Diego
Asian Solidarity Collective (ASC)
Asian Pacific Islander Community Actions (APICA)
San Francisco
Pin@y Educational Partnerships (PEP)
We Are Philippines Studies Campaign
San Jose-Silicon Valley
LEAD Filipino
History
Telling the story of the evolution of the FIERCE Coalition requires rewinding back to the summer of 2018. In June 2018, we received a phone call from our Bulosan Center family. The reason for the call? To collaborate on forming a response to the continuous absence and underrepresentation of Fil voices in public policy conversations, despite being the largest Asian Pacific Islander group in California at 1.5 million.
That phone call catalyzed a series of summer sessions between LF and the Bulosan Center. These conversations ranged from addressing the current (at that time) absence of Fil Ams in public policy and political leadership, conceptualizing ways that our organizations could change these realities, and at some point – we put these ideas into action.
2018 Statewide Filipinx Policy Symposium
We and the Bulosan Center understood that to instigate and spread change meant activating a statewide assembly of other Fil Am community-based organizations (CBOs), nonprofits, and grassroots groups from every corner of California.
To do this, our organizations reached out to all of the Fil Am CBOs, nonprofits, small business leaders, and collegiate groups from across California to invite them to join our unoriginally named, “Filipinx Policy Steering Committee” (now FIERCE) for the purposes of contributing to a developing Filipinx Policy & Organizing Symposium. The cool thing about community folks is that we literally pitched an idea – in the name of invoking systems and statewide change – and they pulled up, came through, and brought their hearts, minds, and people.
The first Statewide Filipinx Policy & Organizing Symposium was held on Saturday, September 29th, 2018 at UC Davis.
Our first Statewide Filipinx Policy & Organizing Symposium, put on in collaboration with the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies, Little Manila Rising, FAEAC, Migrante Napa and Solano Counties, and many more contributors produced an experience that engaged ~100 participants.
The outcomes of the Symposium produced our 2019 Filipinx Policy Advocacy Platform.
2019 Filipinx Legislative Advocacy Day
The outcomes of the Symposium guided our message during our 2019 Filipinx Legislative Advocacy Day in Sacramento.
For a deeper and detailed recap of our 2019 Filipinx Legislative Advocacy Day, check out our original post.
2021 Filipinx Policy Symposium and Advocacy Day
We hosted our virtual 2021 Filipinx Policy Symposium (3/7) and Advocacy Day (4/28) this past spring. To learn more, read about our Advocacy Day here.
FIERCE Staff
Gabriel Young
State Policy Director, FIERCE Coalition
Gabriel@leadfilipino.org